Ducks News

Palmieri, Etem Make U.S. World Junior Team

by
Staff Writer
/ Anaheim Ducks

Recent Anaheim Ducks draft picks Kyle Palmieri (first round pick, 26th overall in 2009) and Emerson Etem (first round pick, 29th overall in 2010) have been named to the final 22-man U.S. National Team roster that will compete at the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship from December 26, 2010 – January 5, 2011, in Buffalo and Niagara, New York.

Palmieri, 19 (2/1/91), has played in 10 Ducks and 20 Syracuse Crunch (AHL) games this season. Recalled from Syracuse on Nov. 3, Palmieri scored his first goal in his NHL debut that night against Tampa Bay’s Dan Ellis. At 19 years, nine months, and two days, he was the fifth-youngest player to appear in a Ducks uniform. Palmieri has scored 9-4=13 points with Syracuse in 20 games this season. At the time of his recall on Nov. 3, he was tied for the league lead in goal scoring and was tied for the team lead in points. Palmieri recorded a four-game goal streak (6-1=7) from Oct. 23-30 and was also named the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 31 after scoring 5-1=6 points in three games.

A native of Smithtown, NY, Palmieri scored two goals in Team USA’s preliminary contest last night vs. the Czech Republic in a 3-2 shootout loss. He also represented Team USA at the 2010 World Junior Championship, winning a gold medal with the club. He scored 1-8=9 points in seven games, finishing third on Team USA in scoring and assists.

Etem, 18 (6/16/92), has appeared in 32 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) in 2010-11, scoring 21-14=35 points with a team-leading +19 rating. Among WHL leaders, he leads all WHL players with four shorthanded goals, ranks seventh in plus/minus and tied for 10th in goals. He currently ranks second on the Tigers in goals and third in points. He has tallied 10 multiple-point games this season, including four 3-point games. Etem had back-to-back 3-point games on Nov. 23 vs. Brandon (1-2=3) and Nov. 27 at Everett (2-1=3). The Long Beach, CA native led all WHL rookies in 2009-10 with 37 goals scored.

Etem scored a goal in one of Team USA’s preliminary contests on Dec. 19 vs. RPI in a 4-3 shootout loss.

Ducks prospects Sami Vatanen (defenseman, Finland) and Igor Bobkov (goalie, Russia) have both been named to preliminary rosters for their respective countries. In 32 contests for JYP Jyvaskyla of the Finnish Elite League, Vatanen (fourth-round pick, 106th overall in 2009) has scored 8-13=21 points in 32 games. Vatanen, 19 (6/3/91), also competed for Team Finland at the 2010 World Juniors, earning 2-3=5 points in six contests.

Bobkov, 19 (1/2/91), has played in eight games for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season, going 1-4-0 with a 4.63 GAA and .857 SV%. Bobkov (third-round pick, 76th overall in 2009) also competed for Russia at the 2010 World Junior Championship, posting a 3-3 record in six games with a 2.45 GAA and .930 SV%, including a shutout on Dec. 28, 2009 vs. Finland.

Following is the broadcast schedule on NHL Network (all times Pacific). Click here for more information on the tournament.